The IBU Team
Feridun Hamdullahpur
Chancellor
Feridun Hamdullahpur has been an engineer, educator and leader over the span of his more than 35 year career in research and higher education. He has served as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo since 2010. A professor of mechanical engineering, Hamdullahpur holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul. As President of the University of Waterloo, he devoted his tenure to fostering excellence in academics and research, with a dedication to developing an innovative culture committed to experiential education. Through his stewardship, the University of Waterloo has continued its legacy as Canada’s innovation university. Throughout his career, Feridun Hamdullahpur has been an active researcher in thermo-fluids and energy engineering, a passionate teacher and an academic administrator. He has authored hundreds of scientific and academic publications and supervised over 50 graduate students. He was named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2014. He has served in various academic and administrative roles, including as a Vice-President Academic and Provost at the University of Waterloo. He continues to serve as Chair of the Waterloo Global Science Initiative since 2016; an active member of the Sorbonne Université Strategic Orientation Committee since 2014; as a member of the King Abdulaziz University International Advisory Board since 2017; and as a member of the Board of Trustees since 2020 at World Education Services. He was named a Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) in 2018. He was awarded the l’insigne de chevalier des Palmes Académiques by the French Republic in February 2020, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in January 2013.
Joanne Shoveller
President & Vice-chancellor
IBU President and Vice Chancellor since January 1st 2022, Joanne served previously as Vice President of Advancement at the University of Waterloo (2017-2021). Prior to this, she held progressive roles in Part-Time and Continuing Education, University Advancement and the Ivey Business School at Western University. In 1997 she was assigned to Hong Kong as part of the small team that founded Ivey’s Asian campus, Executive MBA, research, case-writing and fundraising programs. In 2001 she influenced the successful closure of the Ivey Campaign then assumed leadership of the Ivey MBA program until 2004, diversifying and strengthening its student cohort and steering curriculum development. Joanne led the advancement teams at the University of Guelph (2004-2012) and INSEAD Business School in France (2012-2016), building alumni, donor and corporate relations, multiplying charitable giving, contributing to strategic direction and launching two capital campaigns. A volunteer with organizations based in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa, she brings a rich international perspective to her work, along with unique insights into the student, faculty, employer and alumni experience. She holds a BA from Wilfrid Laurier University and MBA from Ivey Business School, Western University.
Joanne’s strategic focus for IBU is to develop an exceptional accessible, flexible and personalized learning experience for a diverse student body, building a strong academic platform with faculty devoted to a rich teaching experience, and establishing strong business and government partnerships.
Dr Artie Ng
Dean, International Business University
Qualification
Ph.D. University of Glasgow, UK
M.Eng. University of Waterloo, Canada
M.B.A. University of Toronto, Canada
MSc. California State University, Fresno, U.S.
BSc. California State University, Fresno, U.S.
Teaching and Scholarly Interests:
Financial Regulation and Compliance; Intellectual Capital; Sustainable Finance and Investment; Policy for Global Sustainability
Biography
Dr. Artie Ng is the Inaugural Dean of International Business University overseeing program development and management as well as related quality assurance. Dr Ng has over 20 years working in the tertiary education sector with a wide range of duties, including teaching undergraduate and graduate-level courses, managing program accreditations, as well as research funding and administration. In addition to his extended experience in managing degree programs across disciplines, he conducts interdisciplinary research on performance of entrepreneurial firms, green finance as well as policy for global sustainability. With an interest in research collaboration, he has held Visiting Professor positions with universities in Asia and Europe. He was previously appointed as a Senior Research Fellow with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He is a founding member with the Research Centre for Green Energy, Transport and Building and the Centre for Ageing and Healthcare Management Research, both at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University funded by the Research Grants Council. He has been an international associate with the Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR) at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.
Besides edited books, conference papers and consultancy reports, his publications appear in various impactful journals, including Energy Policy, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, Sustainability Accounting, Management & Policy Journal as well as Technological Forecasting & Social Change. He serves in the editorial boards of Accounting Forum, Journal of Financial Regulation & Compliance, International Journal of Climate Change Strategies & Management, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, as well as Social & Environmental Accountability Journal.
Prior to his academic appointments, Dr Ng was as an analyst with multinational firms in the independent energy sector for project finance as well as mergers and acquisitions of power generating facilities in collaboration with multilateral agencies, such as ADB and IFC. He performed due diligence and risk assessments for these projects. He is a qualified member with CPA Canada and a Fellow with CIMA UK.
Publications
Selected Publications
Refereed journals
Leal Filho, W., Wall, T., Rui Mucova, S.A., Nagy, G.J., Balogun, A-L, Luetz, J.M., Ng, Artie, Kovaleva, M., Azam, F.M.S., Alves, F., Guevara, Z., Matandirotya, N.R., Skouloudis, A., Tzachor, A., Malakar, K. and Gandhi, O. (2022). “Deploying artificial intelligence for climate change adaptation”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 180, 121662.
Ng, Artie (2021). “Green investing and financial services: ESG investing for a sustainable world”. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Global Sustainability. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38948-2_104-1
Ng, Artie, Nathwani, J., Fu, J. and Zhou, H. (2021). “Green financing for global energy sustainability: prospecting transformational adaptation beyond Industry 4.0”, Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 17:1, 377-390, DOI: 10.1080/15487733.2021.1999079.
Wu, Y. A., Ng, Artie, Yu, Z., Huang, J., Meng, K. and Dong, Z.Y. (2021). “A review of evolutionary policy incentives for sustainable development of electric vehicles in China: strategic implications”, Energy Policy, 148, Part B, 111983, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111983.
Ng, Artie, Fong, B. and Lo, M.F. (2021). “Dynamic knowledge management in response to the pandemic outbreak: an interinstitutional risk-based approach to sustainability”, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, DOI: 10.1080/14778238.2021.1919574.
Shen, H., Ng, Artie, Zhang, J., Wang, L. (2020) “Sustainability accounting, management and policy in China: Recent developments and future avenues”, Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-03-2020-0077 .
Leal , W., Brandli, L., Salvia, A., do Paco, A., Anholon, R., Quelhas, O., Rampasso, I., Ng, Artie, Balogun, A., and Kondev, B. (2019). “A comparative study of approaches towards energy efficiency and renewable energy use at higher education institutions”, Journal of Cleaner Production, 237, 1-18.
Nathwani, J. and Ng, Artie (2019). “A ‘cap and invest’ strategy for managing the intergenerational burdens of financing energy transitions”, In Sachs, J., Thye, W.W., Yoshino, N. and Taghizadeh-Hesary, F. ed. Handbook of Green Finance, Asian Development Bank Institute, Springer, Singapore, 1-15.
Ng, Artie, and Law, V.T. (2019). “Towards a Global Financial System for Sustainability: Implications for an Emerging Global Financial Center”, In Sabri Boubaker and Duc Khuong Nguyen ed. Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainable Prosperity, World Scientific, United Kingdom, 285-304.
NG, Artie, FONG, B.Y.F., and LEUNG, T.C.H. (2018). “Health and Sustainability: Reinforcing Public and Private Engagement through Tertiary Institutions”, In U. M. Azeiteiro, M. Akerman, W. Leal Filho, A. F. ed. Lifelong Learning and Education in Healthy and Sustainable Cities, World Sustainability Series, Springer, Cham, 69-186.
Ng, Artie, and Nathwani, J. (2018). “Sustainable energy infrastructure for Asia: policy framework for responsible financing and investment”, In Subhes C Bhattacharyya ed. Routledge Handbook of Energy in Asia, Routledge, UK, 284-295.
Ng, Artie (2018). “From sustainability accounting to a green financing system: Institutional legitimacy and market heterogeneity in a global financial centre” Journal of Cleaner Production, 195, 585-592.
Ng, Artie and Wang, W.M. (2018). “Slack resources and quality performance: case of a mega health care organization”, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 35(5), 1060-1074.
Ng, Artie, Macbeth, D., and Yip, L.S.C. (2017). “Exploring performance drivers for technology-based ventures from early-stage to expansion: perspectives of venture capitalists”, Venture Capital, An International Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance, 19(4), 335-359.
NG, Artie and Kwok, B. (2017). “Emergence of Fintech and cybersecurity in a global financial central: strategic approach by a regulator”, Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance (Special Issue: Policy responses to the Great Financial Crisis), 25(4), 422-434.
Ng, Artie, Macbeth, D., and Southern, G. (2014). “Entrepreneurial performance of early-stage ventures: dynamic resource management for development and growth”, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 10(3), 503-521.
Nathwani, J., and Ng, Artie (2014). “Investing in the next generation of infrastructure for sustainable energy in Canada”, Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment, 4(3), 272-279.
Ng, Artie and Nathwani, J. (2012). “Sustainability performance disclosures: The case of independent power producers”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(4), 1940-1948.
Yuen, P.P. and Ng, Artie (2012), “Towards a balanced performance measurement system in a public health care organization”, International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 25(5), 421-430.
Ng, Artie and Nathwani, J. (2010). “Sustainable energy policy for Asia: Mitigating systemic hurdles in a highly dense city”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 14(3), 1118-1123.
Ng, Artie (2006). “Reporting intellectual capital flow in technology‐based companies: Case studies of Canadian wireless technology companies”, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 7(4), 492-510.
Edited Books
Fu, J. and Ng, A. (2020). Sustainable Energy and Green Finance for a Low-carbon Economy, Springer, Germany, ISBN978-3-030-35410-7, 285pp.
Fong, B., Ng, A. and Yuen, P. (2018). Sustainable Health and Long-Term Care Solutions for an Aging Population, IGI Global, Hershey, ISBN9781522526339, 438pp.
Nathwani, J., and Ng, A. (2010). Paths to Sustainable Energy, InTech, EU, ISBN978-953-307-401-6 664pp.
Swarna Bakshi Saini
Registrar & Director of Enrolment Service
Swarna is an internationally experienced higher education professional specializing in varied aspects of student management and administration. Having worked the entire spectrum from core academics to education management and leadership, she has a holistic understanding of higher education system and student management in different parts of the world.
She brings extensive experience in private post-secondary education industry and holds a Master’s in Business Administration. Prior to IBU, she worked as the Campus Registrar with Yorkville University.
Swarna is passionate about supporting students focused on changing their lives and intends to play a significant role in changing the face of Canadian higher education industry while leveraging the full potential of IBU’s personalized and flexible education model.
Chris Fraser
Vice President Of Student Recruitment And Strategic Partnerships
Chris Fraser is the Vice President of Student Recruitment and Strategic Partnership at IBU. With 15 years of sector experience, brands such as triOS College, CDI College, RCC Institute of Technology, Academy of Design, Toronto Film School, and Yorkville University have relied on his leadership to deliver exceptional service to prospective students and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships with key recruitment partners. Serving in his prior role as the Vice President of Student Recruitment for Yorkville University and Toronto Film School, he advanced a customer-centric student recruitment strategy, pillared by intentionality, optimization, and diversity, to achieve sector-leading enrolment volumes across a suite of programs spanning from ESL to graduate studies.
With experience leading teams as small as 6 and as large as 140, Chris has demonstrated an ability to rally small and large groups around common values, principles, and goals to support the achievement of institutional strategic imperatives. Through process improvement, technology enhancement, operational excellence, and data leveraging, he empowers bold actions and deliberate outcomes. Critical to his leadership philosophy is fostering results-oriented, celebratory environments where people lead with their strengths and embrace continuous improvement.
As a lifelong learner, Chris has benefitted from completing studies at both public and private institutions, culminating in a Master of Education in Educational Leadership degree. He has now set his sights on doctoral studies and can frequently be found unearthing value from the literary authorities in business and education.
Chris takes great pride in his role as a people leader and in the part student recruitment plays in supporting students to achieve their personal and professional goals.
Jason Gangaram
Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Partnerships
Jason Gangaram became the inaugural Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Partnerships at IBU in 2022.
Prior to joining at IBU, Jason was a Director of Admissions at CDI College, one of the largest independent colleges in Canada. He oversaw the development and implementation of recruitment and yield activities for domestic and international students. He is credited with streamlining the admissions process, developing specialized recruitment programs, and achieving significant increases in both applicant pool and yield rates while drawing from an increasingly diverse demographic group. He also spent over 5 years in education management supporting student outcomes via academics as a Campus Director at CDI College. He has supported students throughout the student lifecycle from the day they apply to the day they got into their new career post-graduation. He has been part of higher education as a senior leader for over a decade supporting students, stakeholders, communities, and governments.
Jason also serves as an Executive Director on the Academic Platform for the Urban Economy Forum (UN-Habitat). Here he identifies and contextualizes themes to promote innovative approaches and solutions to urban governance, management, and development that assist city leaders in guiding their cities towards economically, socially, and environmentally prosperous urban futures internationally.
Jason always knew education is the game changer in life. So, he decided to help people build their brand so they can market and sell themselves. His goal is to help people determine how their education plan at IBU is specific, measurable, achievable and compatible with their long-term life goals. His passion is to help people from all walks of life find their way forward. Our Recruitment Team’s vision is to be the best and Jason is committed to doing everything he can to exceed expectations.
Jason received his Bachelor of Commerce (double major) from Ryerson University and is currently pursuing his MBA from the Ted Rogers School of Management.
Funmi Aina
Enrolment Officer
Peter Wang
It Director
With 20 years global technology management experiences in F500 multinational companies in North America as well as worked extensively in Asia and Europe, Peter is responsible for driving IBU’s IT product vision and digital technology strategy, he has highly knowledgeable in exceptional technology delivery and diverse areas of business engagement utilizing creative strategies to increase the University’s productivity. He was most recently a Regional IT Leader at Miniso Canada, and prior were the global IT leaders at National Basketball Association, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Syniverse Technologies. Peter holds a master’s degree in project management from BUPT.
Melanie Lang
Education Consultant, Academic Programs
Melanie Lang is Principal at Melanie Lang Consulting and was the Founding Executive Director of The John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise at the University of Guelph. She has more than 15 years’ experience as a strategic and collaborative academic and business leader while serving her community and creating economic development initiatives through diverse forms of scholarship, collaborative research projects, and community-engaged programs. She has developed educational programs, secured innovative sources of funding, and demonstrated community leadership.
Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in advancing an innovative and entrepreneurial culture, while creating authentic partnerships with individuals, community partners, government agencies, and industry. She is an engaged business professional and an academic sector advocate who has earned a reputation of being industry-oriented and socially progressive.
Melanie’s expertise comes from years of experience combined with an instinct that can’t be taught. She’s an experienced facilitator, offers customized management consulting services, works with individuals and teams to help identify organizational pain points, and helps develop business and strategic plans. Melanie is able to identify the core problem and find the solution through customized curriculum and workshops with an emphasis on clarity, simplicity, and elegant problem-solving.
Within the Guelph-Wellington area, she has served on many boards and committees, including Give some Foundation, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce (including Board Chair); Center Wellington Community Foundation; Guelph Wellington Business Enterprise Centre; IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership; 4H Ontario Board; and Centre Wellington Co-operative Preschool. Melanie was named one of the City of Guelph’s ‘Top 40 Under 40’ in 2012 for her role as an educator and community developer and was recognized as a 2015 and 2016 YMCA-YWCA Woman of Distinction nominee for Education and Training and Business and Entrepreneurship.
Her innovative and entrepreneurial approach to program and economic development, along with her ability to seek outside-the-box solutions, has paved the road for creating a strong and active presence in the local community. Throughout her years of service, Melanie’s vision, passion, and initiative have helped enhance experiential learning opportunities for students, while contributing to the healthy growth and development of businesses and organizations in the surrounding community.